A HUDDERSFIELD recycling firm will be sentenced next month for health and safety breaches which led to employees being exposed to the potentially deadly chemical mercury.
The charges follow an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive and the Environment Agency into activities at the School Lane, Kirkheaton, premises of Electrical Waste Recycling Group.
The firm recycles electrical equipment, including lighting tubes which contain mercury.
At Bradford Crown Court yesterday, company director Craig Thompson, 68, admitted two offences under the Health and Safety at Work Act.
And a judge was told the firm, which was previously known as Matrix Direct Recycle Ltd, would also be admitting a total of ten charges covering a period between October 2007 and August 2008.
As reported in September 2008, the HSE and the Environment Agency ordered management to stop work at the premises and launched an investigation after it was revealed that staff had been exposed to mercury.
The company is now accused of failing to ensure the health, safety and welfare at work of all their employees.
Documents seen by The Examiner showed high levels of mercury were found at the Kirkheaton plant.
An enforcement notice served on the company stated that there was a “serious risk of pollution” because the firm’s mercury recovery retort – the equipment it uses – was not working properly.
It added: “Emissions from the retort absorber exit duct into unit five (the mercury distillation area) were more than 48,000 times higher than you said that they would be.
“You are not recovering free-flowing liquid mercury as you stated you would.
“This means that fugitive emissions of mercury vapour and dust containing mercury are likely to be escaping your site.”
The notice added that air testing around the site showed vapour levels were higher than the guideline limit. The agency also found waste was being stored outside designated areas, including in open containers.
Electrical Waste Recycling was ordered to investigate why emissions exceeded the agreed level and to carry out tests to prove it has dealt with the problem. It was also ordered to move waste into the agreed areas.
Mild symptoms of mercury poisoning include chest pain, coughing and breathing problems. But in severe cases it can cause fatal brain and kidney damage.
An Environment Agency spokesman said at the time: “Extensive soil sampling has been carried out around the plant and levels of mercury do not pose an unacceptable risk to the health of site workers or the general public.”
One former employee has said she had left the company after getting worrying urine test results.
She said: “My mercury levels were double the levels not uncommonly found in someone who worked with mercury.
“I had only worked there for seven weeks, in an admin role, in the office – not with any machinery or fluorescent tubes.”
Recorder David Wilby QC was told the sentence hearing was expected to take a full day and informed all parties that it would be listed for January 14.
